Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-07-23
KILLING AN ELEPHANT.
Pet Bijou's Career Suddenly Cut Short
in Boston.

Boston Herald.
The killing of an elephant is no
everyday occurrence. Bijou, the
children's pet, and for two years the
strongest drawing card at the Worlds's
Museum, turned up his toes last
night with scarcely time enough
'twixt the death sentence and the ex-
ecution to pack up his trunk. But
probably in the elephants happy
land he won't need it. On earth,
however, it was a remarkably con-
venient article, and possessed this
merit over the ordinary Saratoga:
You couldn't fill it up. Neither did
it seem possible~to fill up the huge
stomach to which the trunk served
as a sort of automatic, rapid transit
collecting agent. For three-quarters
ola century, like Oliver Twist, Bijou
has been constantly, though mutely,
''asking for more" and, unlike Dick
ems little beggar, he usually got it.
Gauging his appetite by the record of
the past two years, it appears that
Bijou has during his eventful career
put himself outside of $500 bales of
hay, 23,400 bushels of corn, 62,40O
pounds of candy, 10, 700 quarts of ap-
Piles, 100000 pints of peanuts, besides
untold quantities of cakes, oranges
and all sorts of goodies. 1t is painful
to record the fact that Bijou was also
a hard drinker, seventy-two quarts a
day being his regular allowance, and
though he always drank water, the
grand total Of 492,750 gallons may
have something to do with his drop,
see? Speaking of water suggests the
mishap which primarily caused his
early taking off. A few years ago
Bijou was travelling with a circus in
New York State. He was always a
cautious fellow, and, like most ele-
plants, he never crossed a bridge
without first carefully testing its
strength. On one unlucky day the
show was hurrying across a little
stream to keep an engagement, and
Bijou, as usual, stopped short at the
bridge and cautiously began feeling
his way along. But his keeper, i'm
patient and irritable at the delay,
forced him along at the point of a
goad, and the poor fellow, in his pain
and fright, forgot for the moment of
his caution. 1t proved an unlucky
bridge, for when half way across a
plank gave way beneath his enor-
nous weight, and crash he went into
the wreck. They succeeded in pull
ing him out, but with a badly sprain-
ed foreleg, and though it seemed to
get well after a while, it eventually
rendered him a cripple. He was al
ways a great favorite with ladies and
children, being gentle and docile, and
fond of being fed by the little folks
who focked to see him. 1t was true
of him that he never forgot a foe,
though hardly as safe to assert that
he always remembered his thou
sands of friends. One man who,
while feeding Bijou with peanuts,
suddenly put into his trunk a lighted
cigar, thanked his stars that the ele-
plant was shackled to the floor by a
big iron chain. But for that there
might have been a funeral in that
mans family. With a roar of pain
and rage, Bijou made a dash for the
practical joker, who narrowly escap.
ed being Drained on the spot by the
huge trunk which, with terrific force,
came crashing down on the spot
where a second before he stood. AT:
ter a while the attendants paciied the
beast, but he had gothis eye on his
tormentor, and he never forgot him.
but would roar and below angrily
whenever he would appear in sight
Ordinarily Bijou was easy to con
troll and gave little or no trouble
His recent Sunday afternoon escapade
when he broke loose, made a tour O
the museum, upset the fruit stand
and gorged himself with apples
oranges and confectionery to his
hearts content, was easily forgiven
Everybody loved him; and many 6
little boy and girl will feel sorry tc
learn of his death. Three weeks age
Bijou's fore leg became so painful.
that he could stand no longer. i
was pitiful to see the sutferings of the
noble brute and to note the mute
pleadings of his gentle eyes, as, al
most human in their dumb entreaty
he begged for relief, DR.. Al Watts
was called and made a careful exam
nation. In pairing down the fee
with adrawshave-a freuuentnecesSi